For me the answer is simple - when they have data.

We are inundated with data everyday, and it is accessing it, compiling it and finding solutions off of the back of it that a marketer should make their bread and butter. However, the strain comes when all of these sources are spread across multiple platforms and services. Here's my guide to some of the best tools you can add to your online arsenal.

Google Analytics

I start with an absolute must for all web developers, sales managers, directors and anyone online. If you can run this tool do it. I know this is known to most people but what you might not know is the fantastic updates they have made to the offering in the last 6 months. Here are two of the key innovations Google has brought on board:

3rd party API – In a previous article I explained how multiple products are opening themselves up to allow for greater reporting. For example, many email providers such as Constant Contact allow you to name your campaign so when it when it comes to reporting, you know more about the user’s entry paths. This is crucial when quantifying email success rates.

In-Page Analytics – Whenever a company finds a gap in the market for reporting Google has already considered it. However, that’s what happened with ClickTail. A very good product which provides in page analytics and even records what your users are doing. The problem for ClickTail for me was the amount of reporting it would give you on the free model was limited.

In the latest update, Google brought out their own version and the results are immense. Taking all the best parts from ClickTail and combining it with your current reporting for no expense is a master stroke. Just a word of warning, if you have any flash modules or items that rotate and content which continually updates it will limit the length of time you do a report for. For example, when we at Entrepreneur Country pull this report we can only do it on a day by day basis as the site continually changes.

Bit.ly

Another tool which has been in the public domain for a while has had a facelift and boy did it need it. This very basic tool allows you to create personalised and trackable short links, perfect for Tweeting and keeping hold of your data. The crucial thing to do is to create bundles and record your data. The system does not offer exportable data but it will show you how and where you links are being interacted with.

But because of the lack of exportable data this tool in this marketers opinion is on the way out. I fear it faces the same fate as ClickTail. Once Google clicks offers similar opportunities that Bit.ly do then we could be in an excellent position!

Hashtracking.com (See below)

I came across this tool when a twitter contact I made through the workshop (@digiconvs) tweeted me some research (see right). The research came from http://www.hashtracking.com, it is excellent for dissecting #hashtags and keeping track of the conversation.

If you are running an event and want to add an element of social media, this is your go to tracking tool. It not only catalogues the top 10 most popular people and the day’s tweets, but it also provides data on how many impressions were generated by those tweeting.

Facebook

The social media giant has put a lot of effort into its group and fan pages. Facebook's analytics are excellent, showing you how great each post’s impact has been.It tells you how many people are discussing your group, how many viral your content is and how engaged with graphs and charts.

The new fan pages have brought a new dimension to viral advertising. Traditionally, Twitter was viewed as the place for those who wanted to go viral. Now, companies such as Paddy Power have been amongst the best to use this medium.

A brilliant example is publishing mocked photos of John Terry joining in on events that he shouldn’t be involved in. Following on from a trending campaign by many football fans (please see the below video), they have gone viral several times by showing how they understand the market and I’m sure they have the stats to back it up thanks to Facebook.

In summary, an online marketer is happiest when they have an array of statistical tools to help them develop their offering, redefine their campaigns or show that they have been successful. The only issue at the moment is that the data is in several places and hard to access...

But until then, the idlers of the marketing world, and I, can only dream.